This visa is for students who wish to pursue their studies in Australia. There are student visas for students who wish to learn English, take short courses that range from 3 months to a year, and for students who wish to pursue bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, or Ph.D. degrees.
Validity
This Australian visa allows students to stay in the country for the duration of their chosen course. This Australian visa also allows the holder to get in and go out of Australia multiple times. Students who bring dependent family members to Australia usually stay the same length of time as the students. However, the dependents cannot stay in the country once the student has left.
How it works
Before you apply for a student visa, you must first apply for the school of your choice and you must have the necessary paper work ready. Most of the time, show money will be required by the consul because they need to know that you will be able to support yourself while you are studying, although students are allowed 20 hours of work per week.
When calculating the cost you will need to show the consul, you need to factor in the cost of your course, the cost of insurance (this is a must!) cost of daily living expenses etc. If you are bringing a spouse or kids, the amount goes up and the young ones will also need to go to school if they are over 5 years of age. Aside from the above mentioned factors, you will also need to factor in the cost of transportation even if you will live near the school.
Again, the 20 hours per week is always there to provide you with extra spending money and in certain situations (Master's and PHD) your spouse can work full time. But as for the student, the 20 hours is so you can experience more of Australian culture and it should not be your bread and butter.